Thin lips can be a cause of insecurity and affect self-esteem. In these cases, lip fillers can restore confidence by volumizing and enhancing your lips, creating a healthy and vibrant smile. However, lip fillers are an injectable treatment, and, like all forms of injection, they can cause swelling. On this page, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the stages of lip filler swelling and provide some tips on how to heal and conceal the inflammation. 

What Are the Benefits of Lip Fillers? 

When it comes to lip fillers and the reasons why many people like them, we cannot but mention the many benefits that come with them, here are some of them.

Volumized lips

The primary benefit of lip fillers is the look that they create. Dermal fillers add shape and structure to the lips, volumizing and plumping them, which creates a healthy, radiant look. 

Masks the signs of aging

Lip fillers conceal the signs of aging and create a youthful look by erasing away the wrinkles that surround the mouth.

Natural

Our natural lip fillers consist of a substance called hyaluronic acid, which is produced by the body itself. As a result, the fillers cause less swelling than lip filler treatments which are made from synthetic materials.

Reversible

Your body will naturally break down the dermal fillers over the course of six months. This means that the treatment is entirely reversible.

Fast recovery time

Patients can return to their normal activities within 48 hours.

Little to no side effects

As our lip fillers are made from a natural substance, side effects are exceptionally rare. This makes the treatment a better alternative to lip implants, which can cause varying results and come with a greater risk of side effects.

What Can I Expect From a Lip Filler Treatment?

Before the treatment, a numbing agent is applied to ease discomfort. The dermal fillers are then injected into the lips. The hyaluronic acid in the fillers stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. These proteins add strength to the skin whilst replenishing it with moisture, producing a healthy, vibrant look.

Why Does Swelling Occur After Getting Lip Fillers?

Lip fillers are injected using a needle that pierces the tissue of your skin. This causes minor trauma at the injection site, and swelling is your body’s natural response to this trauma. As your body heals, the swelling will diminish and eventually disappear. Although everyone experiences some swelling as a side effect of this procedure, some patients experience more swelling than others. 

Lip Filler Swelling Stages:

Every individual that is determined to get lip fillers will inevitably go through certain stages. We will be describing the stages below.

Day 0:

On the day of the treatment, there will be considerable (and often uneven) swelling immediately after the fillers have been injected. 

Day 1:

On the morning after the lip filler treatment, inflammation is at its most severe, and the lips are likely to feel very sensitive. It is common for the upper lip to be significantly more swollen than the lower lip.

Day 2: 

Inflammation will continue into the next day, and there may be some bruising or scabbing over the lips. It is also possible for small bumps to appear inside the lips. 

Day 4: 

It is likely that there will still be some inflammation around the lips on the fourth day following the treatment. However, these symptoms will be noticeably eased and reduced. 

One Week after the Treatment: 

Once one week has passed, the bruises and lumps on the lips will have disappeared. There will still be some swelling, but the size of the lips will have reduced. You will begin to see the results of the treatment. 

One Month after the Treatment:

All of the swellings will have disappeared, and the results of the treatment will be fully visible. 

How Can I Hide Lip Filler Swelling?

There are various ways in which lip filler swelling can be concealed or reduced: 

Apply an ice pack 

This will restrict the local blood supply, reducing swelling. Wrap a tea towel around the ice pack before application to prevent it from coming into direct contact with your lips. Ensure that you do this five times a day and for twenty minutes each time during the first two days after the treatment.

Stay hydrated

Swelling occurs when fluids are stored in a singular place. When your body is hydrated, fluids can move more freely, which prevents this storage. 

Keep your head elevated

This will allow fluids to drain away from the face, minimizing swelling.    

Avoid Massaging the Lower Face 

This can cause the filler to move, which may increase swelling and can interfere with the effects of the procedure. 

Avoid Alcohol

Drinking can increase bruising and swelling, so it is best to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before and after the treatment. 

Rest

Avoid partaking in rigorous exercise for 24 to 48 hours after the injections.

Swelling is an unfortunate side effect of any injectable treatment. However, referring to this guide in the days and weeks following your procedure should help to reassure you that swelling is a natural bodily response and will disappear relatively rapidly. Additionally, the above tips on how to hide and heal the swelling should help you to reduce the inflammation, allowing you to enjoy your new, youthful look as soon as possible.

About the Author

Dr Suhail Alam

Dr Alam is devoted to providing high quality, holistic, patient centred care designed to make patients look and feel their best. He has a specialist interest in Hair Restoration Surgery and Regenerative Medicine.

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